Digital Lifescapes

 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is quietly becoming one of the most strategic short-range wireless technologies in the market, moving from niche deployments into the mainstream of smartphones, cars, and smart spaces. As the ecosystem matures and next-generation implementations arrive, UWB is shifting from nice-to-have to a foundational capability for secure access, sensing, and high-performance device-to-device connectivity. UWB Technology Market Development Unlike Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or legacy IEEE 802.15.4 implementations, UWB combines three powerful attributes in a single radio: secure ranging, radar-like sensing, and low-latency, high-throughput short-range data. This allows networking and IT vendors to architect experiences that blend precise location, context awareness, and rich interaction in ways traditional connectivity stacks cannot easily match. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, UWB is expected to be one of the fastest-growing wireless connectivity...

Wireless communications technology applications will gain new momentum in 2022. Looking ahead, wireless device connectivity innovations such as Wi-Fi 6 and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology adoption will accelerate new growth. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, next year Wi-Fi 6 will reach over 1.5 billion annual chipset shipments, while 6 GHz enabled Wi-Fi 6E chipsets are forecasted to nearly triple. Meanwhile, Ultra-Wideband devices are expected to reach nearly half-a-billion units as adoption increases within smartphones, wearables, speakers, personal trackers, and RTLS applications. Wireless Innovation Market Development "The wireless connectivity landscape continues to evolve thanks to the emergence of new technologies, enhancements to established technologies, and continued innovation and competition across the chipset, module and device ecosystems," said Andrew Zignani, research director at ABI Research . 2022 will be a critical year for wire...

Wireless technologies are adding new fuel to the emerging Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) market. As an example, ultra-wideband (UWB) indoor location technology that's used for logistics apps is ready for substantial market growth. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, there's a significant emerging opportunity for the high-accuracy, low-cost ultra-wideband radio technology in industrial and IoT markets -- with total revenues to reach $15 billion by 2021. “High-precision UWB technologies are nothing new, with companies like Time Domain, Ubisense and Zebra Technologies being long-established vendors in the RTLS/asset tracking market," said Patrick Connolly, principal analyst at ABI Research . UWB Technology Market Development ABI analysts believe that while it's true that UWB is able to perform well in challenging RF environments, the cost/accuracy trade-off previously limited this technology to very niche applications. But now startups are i...

Global positioning system (GPS) wireless technology has transformed terrestrial travel and navigation, but there are numerous other uses. Now these nascent technology applications and new use cases are emerging both inside and outside the home. GPS personal tracking device shipments will more than double by 2021 with a 21 percent CAGR, as the industry shifts away from traditional markets, such as family and pet locator devices. ABI Research predicts that non-traditional markets -- including elderly or health, corporate, and personal asset tracking -- will embrace ubiquitous indoor and outdoor location technology. Indoor Location Market Development "Traditional markets still attract attention, given the huge total available market, but they remain too fragmented, with no obvious sales and distribution channels," said Patrick Connolly, principal analyst at ABI Research . As a result, a number of established companies in this space are being forced to consider new area...

Apparently 2008 was a difficult year for UltraWideBand (UWB) technology adoption, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. There are now four fewer UWB chip makers than there were in the middle of 2008, the high-tech market research firm says. A market recap: Focus Semiconductor declared bankruptcy; WiQuest shut its doors; Intel stopped its program; Artimi and then Staccato Communications merged at the urging of their venture capitalists. "This consolidation has been expected, but in combination with continued slow UWB device shipments, it raises the specter of the failure of UWB technology in the marketplace," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. On the bright side, UWB-enabled mobile PCs showed impressive percentage growth, albeit from a very low starting point. Another positive development in 2008 was the settling of the worldwide regulatory structure and the consequent development of worldwide UWB chip stock keeping units (SKUs) from a number of chip makers. ...

According to an ABI Research market study, shipments of four classes of wireless audio and video connectivity products for the home -- which barely amount to 150 million this year -- are expected to increase to nearly 700 million worldwide by the end of 2013. The technologies in question are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB (ultra-wideband) and 60 GHz -- the likely standard-bearer for in-home wireless distribution of uncompressed high-definition video. ABI Research has long maintained that as the wireless home electronics market grows, these technologies will coexist and become closely integrated according to their strengths and specialties. "Wireless video and audio connectivity within the home is still an early-adopter's market," notes senior analyst Douglas McEuen. As prevalent as wireless connectivity is in the home, it's still a small proportion compared to the potential overall market, and even smaller when it's a question of in-home media networks. However as these sy...

After a very long wait, the first stage of what will become the new wireless home office is arriving, according to a market study by ABI Research. Some home office UWB (ultra-wideband) products are now reaching retailer shelves, and more are expected by the end of the year. These are mainly in the wireless USB category, the first major market application for UWB, utilizing wireless USB embedded in devices such as laptop computers, wireless docking stations for those computers, and wireless external hard drives. "The wireless USB docking station seems to be hitting a sweet spot," says ABI Research senior analyst Douglas McEuen. "A number of the more capable laptop models now include native wireless USB. This represents an important step towards creation of the true wireless home office." Apparently, Dell and Lenovo are leaders in UWB-enabled laptops; wireless USB docking stations are available from Kensington and Toshiba, and Imation is expected to release a wireless...

In 2006 analysts said that it appeared that the market launch of ultra-wideband (UWB) was imminent. Several factors conspired to delay that, but ABI Research now expects UWB to see very strong growth starting in 2008, finding its first success in computers, and eventually in mobile handsets. Forecasts indicate that shipments of UWB-enabled devices will grow from virtually nothing today, to more than 400 million in 2013. Seems implausible, doesn't it? "The ultra-wideband market did not come out of the starting gates in 2006 as we had anticipated," says senior analyst Douglas McEuen. "There were several reasons for the delay, including a shakeout from three competing flavors of the technology to one, and the absence of global standards." Now, however, conditions are ripe for a rapid takeoff, supposedly. We are starting from Year Zero: in 2007, only about 40,000 UWB-equipped devices shipped. This year, there will be perhaps a million, and ABI Research expects the c...

How people connect their computer to digital media recording and playing devices is evolving. The proliferation of digital interfaces on PCs in the past 10 years has led to specialization, as well as an increasing number of choices for consumers, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. USB has become a universal interface in the PC market, and 1394 or FireWire, DVI, and Bluetooth are all available in a large number of notebook and desktop PCs on the market today, the high-tech market research firm says. In order to gauge the popularity of these various interfaces, In-Stat conducted a survey of 2,200 technology early adopters about the interfaces they have on both their work and home PCs, and to what they connect with these interfaces. "Not surprisingly, USB is the most popular interface, and is connected to the greatest number of devices in both work and home environments," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. "1394 (FireWire) proved to be the next most pop...

The market for Ultrawideband (UWB) silicon is finally beginning to take off in 2007, according to the latest market study from In-Stat. Though regulatory hurdles over UWB still persist worldwide, the first UWB-enabled notebook PCs have shipped this year from Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba, the high-tech market research firm says. "The primary question for UWB now is: Will other product segments follow where PCs lead?" says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. "UWB is a very flexible technology in that it supports multiple standards, including WUSB, Bluetooth 3.0, IP over UWB, and Video over UWB. This should enable the technology to gain design wins in a wide range of product segments, including PC peripherals, Consumer Electronics (CE), and mobile phones." The research study covers the worldwide market for Ultrawideband. It contains analysis and annual shipment forecasts through 2011 for the penetration of UWB into 26 separate applications within the following product se...

Wireless communication within the home, whether for computer data, audio, or telephony, is becoming an established fact in much of the industrialized world. The next logical step is to stream video. But the exponentially greater amount of data involved -- particularly for high-definition TV -- introduces a higher order of difficulty, and questions remain about whether wireless video will ever become more than a niche market. "How popular will wireless home video distribution become?" asks ABI Research principal analyst Steve Wilson. "It's the very early days for this market, so it's hard to tell for sure. What is clear is that among the connectivity technologies competing in this space, Wi-Fi (802.11n) and wireless HDMI (UWB) are closest to offering practical solutions." Consumers might want a wireless video distribution solution, but most will not pay a premium for it. So initial interest will come from two groups -- tech-savvy early adopters at the high en...

With the promise of entirely wireless interconnections for personal computers (PCs) within the connected home, interface standards and technology battles are looming, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. Most digital home interconnects are first adopted in PCs and then by consumer electronics (CE) devices, the high-tech market research firm says. "Like USB vs. 1394, the outcome of the battle between ultra wide band (UWB) solutions will be determined by the PC platform" says Qasim Inam, In-Stat analyst. The In-Stat research report entitled "PC Wireless Interconnects 2007: Nirvana for PC or Chaos?" covers the worldwide market for PC wireless interconnections. This research provides PC and PC wireless interconnect forecasts through 2011, as well as an analysis of how the market is likely to develop and who will be the winners and losers in the UWB battle. Connecting device cables is a relatively intuitive process for most people. That said, I believe that t...

A recent survey of U.S. early adopters by In-Stat found that almost half of those respondents planning to replace their current mobile phones want Wi-Fi capability built-in to their new handset. To meet the growing demand, there is an avalanche of dual-mode phones in the pipeline. By the end of this year, the Wi-Fi Alliance will have certified more than 100 different models of combination Wi-Fi and cellular phones. "In the years ahead, dual-mode VoIP-capable phone systems will have increasing competition from other technologies, like femtocells for cellular coverage, but widespread Wi-Fi deployment and the variety of Wi-Fi/cellular handsets offers Wi-Fi/Cellular based systems a significant head-start in the market," says Allen Nogee, In-Stat Principal Analyst. "Other technologies, such as WiMAX and Ultra Wideband, are also poised to enter the handset market, but Wi-Fi fills a unique niche that WiMAX and UWB cannot match." I believe that most of the gadget geeks who ...

After two years of promises, and a few false starts, it finally looks like Wireless USB products will hit the market in 2007, according to an In-Stat market study. The first products to arrive by the middle of this year should be dongle and wireless hub pairs that will bring standardized wireless connectivity to notebook and desktop PCs, PC peripherals, and consumer electronics. As with wired USB, PCs will adopt Wireless USB first, before the technology spreads out to the rest of the PC ecosystem. Wireless USB, or more properly Certified Wireless USB, is a standard that was approved and is governed by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the same body responsible for Wired USB. Certified Wireless USB is based on the WiMedia version of Ultrawideband (UWB). WiMedia's UWB flavor is in turn based on multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM), which allows for frequency-hopping to avoid interference with other wireless protocols within UWB wide frequency...

Driven by consumer desire to sideload mobile content and applications onto mobile phones, USB was employed in more handsets than all other interface standards combined in 2006, according to iSuppli Corp. By the end of 2010 USB will still be the leading local interface, forecast to be included in 764 million of all the mobile handsets shipped that year. "All the excitement and hype in the marketplace has been about Wi-Fi and Bluetooth integration in mobile handsets. However, as consumers endeavor to move both personally and professionally created contenton and off of their mobile handsets, the local interface selection of choice clearly will be USB," said Frank Dickson, principal analyst with iSuppli. "Nonetheless, Bluetooth is gaining ground fast. By 2010, Bluetooth and USB will be available on nearly every handset, and WLAN and NFC will have established a significant market presence." The increasing prevalence of these local interfaces on mobile handsets, and the m...